Google Wallet has been a long time in the works, but it looks like it's finally trickling out to the public with Google announcing today on their company blog that the application for Android is now available to Sprint customers.

The search giant is launching their first foray into the NFC (Near field communication) payment race with Google Wallet. The technology is an application that supports the NFC chip embedded in some smartphones. This allows users to "tap to pay" for items and services at stores.

Right now, Google Wallet allows you to tap and go with your Citi Mastercard, and is working on support for Visa, Discover and American Express, all of which made their NFC specifications available today. According to the company, if you're an early adopter you'll receive a $10 free bonus if you purchase a "Google Prepaid Card" before the end of the year.

The application is currently only available to Sprint Nexus S 4G phones through an OTA (Over the air) update. The company says to "just look for the Wallet app" and get started right away. It's not clear when Google will be adding the multi-platform support that they've talked about previously, but at least this is a step towards a future where losing your phone means you'll lose your wallet too.